[Sakura_Gaara]

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any question please make it at the OoC Discussion Thread

Ok so I’m going to talk about Hueco Mundo and everything inside it and The Human World.

To be able to make it easier for you guys I’ll start with Hollows and it subdivisions.

  Spoiler: Hollows 

Hollows are a race of creatures which are born from Human souls who, for various reasons, do not cross over to Soul Society after their death and stay in the Human World for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and deceased humans. Hollows settle in Hueco Mundo, but can cross over to the Human World and Soul Society.
Hollows are former Pluses (deceased human souls) that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the real world for too long. Any spirit that is not guided to the Soul Society by a Shinigami via Soul Burial may eventually descend into a Hollow.

  Spoiler: Transformation Process 

The majority of ghosts peacefully move on to the Soul Society after their deaths. Some, however, stay in the living world to fulfill certain goals, such as looking after a loved one, protecting a particular location, or pursuing a grudge from beyond the grave. However, with only limited abilities to interact with the living, and by definition tied to their goals, many ghosts find they are unable to cope when their loved ones move on or old enemies forget them. At this point, some will become dangerously obsessed with fulfilling those goals, even if the means to fulfill them renders the soul empty: for example, killing anyone who comes near a loved one, in order to keep them from hurting that person. In doing so, the ghost warps into a hollow and, ironically, often makes the focus of their obsession into their first victims. This can be prevented if a Shinigami gives the soul a Soul Burial before it descends into a Hollow.
The process by which a soul becomes a Hollow usually takes a year, reflected by the length of the soul's Chain of Fate, which resides in the center of their chest. The Chain of Fate slowly corrodes over time, reflecting the degradation of the soul's ties to the living world. The process can be accelerated under certain conditions, such as being attacked by a Hollow, giving into extreme despair or through the use of certain spiritual powers. When the chain completely decays, they become a Hollow when a hole opens up on their chest, where the chain was attached (signifying that they have lost their heart).

  Spoiler: Tendencies 

Once a soul becomes a Hollow, it is driven by an eternal and insatiable hunger to devour other souls, living or dead, to fill the void caused by its descent. While their former obsession often becomes their first target, most Hollows will eventually become mindless creatures concerned only with finding the most potent souls to devour. Stronger and more evil Hollows are often able to retain some of their intelligence in Hollow form, making them more dangerous than the average Hollow.

  Spoiler: Appearance 

Evil souls that vary widely in looks and abilities. Hollows are feared as evil spirits or monsters. Their faces are hidden by strangely shaped masks. These masks are formed to protect the naked instinct that is left in a being after the loss of its heart, and in some ways is the tangible form of the Hollow's madness. The masks of different Hollows can differ greatly in shape and form, but they are always white and skull-like. The masks also obscure the original identity of the Hollows. The mask can be shattered, temporarily allowing the Hollow to regain its original identity, but it will regenerate after a short period once the Hollow takes over again.

Hollows have widely varying physical characteristics and powers, and few of them ever appear the same (the few that do are often clones). In terms of appearance, Hollows can range in appearance from furry (like mammals) through lizard-like to outright demonic. Hollows also vary in size, though it tends to be fairly consistent amongst the various classifications of Menos. In Hueco Mundo, some Hollows are no larger than common pets. Most common Hollows are about twice the size of an adult Human, though it can vary to a degree.

  Spoiler: Destruction 

Hollows are usually killed by splitting their mask and head in two, but most wounds that would be fatal for a Human will effectively dispatch them. When this is done by a Shinigami's Zanpakutō, the Hollow is not truly killed; its spirit is purified of the sins it committed as a Hollow. This allows the spirit within to enter the Soul Society as a Plus. In cases where a Hollow committed great sins as a mortal, its purification will summon the gates of Hell, through which the soul is dragged to its punishment. When a Hollow is killed by a Quincy, however, it is destroyed, soul and all (presumably, its body becomes spirit particles which disperse afterwards), which has potentially disastrous effects on the spiritual balance of the worlds. The effects of other spiritual powers on Hollows, such as those of Orihime Inoue or Yasutora Sado, are unknown, partly due to the fact that such occurrences are rare.

Hollow Classification

  Spoiler: Demi-Hollow 

is an earthbound spirit who is evolving into a Hollow. It usually takes a while for the earthbound spirit to fully transform into a Hollow, but this process can be sped up by forcing the hole in their chest to open. The Demi-Hollows are held down by chains, usually to somewhere they consider to be their territory. They are usually only seen when a human steps on their territory and cannot be easily sensed by Shinigami.

  Spoiler: Menos and their subdivisions 

Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal Hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal Hollow. Menos are created when the void within an ordinary Hollow's heart becomes so substantial that Human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow Hollows. These cannibal Hollows are attracted to one another, and a mass inter-devouring follows, resulting in a Gillian. Following this transformation, the Gillian can evolve twice more, first into an Adjuchas and finally into a Vasto Lorde, provided certain conditions are met. Menos evolution is not only contingent upon the Menos eating other Hollows, but also upon the Menos' ability to avoid being eaten. If another Hollow succeeds in devouring even a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible for the one which was wounded this way. Menos-class Hollows are considered so dangerous that Soul Society sends only highly trained Shinigami teams to handle them. These incursions seem to be rare, however, as Menos rarely leave Hueco Mundo unless attracted by large sources of spiritual power or encouraged to by other forces.

  Spoiler: Gillians 

are the weakest class of Menos and the first stage of Menos evolution. They are giant in comparison to other Hollows, dwarfing even the largest standard Hollows by at least the size of a two-story building, but lack agility and intelligence. They also have long tongues capable of breaking a fellow Hollow's mask. While a Gillian-class Menos is quite powerful, they are still much weaker than a Shinigami lieutenant. Though Gillians usually have no personality to speak of, which makes them dangerous since they have no mind of their own, one of the many Hollows that comprise it might gain control over the new entity, reflected in the unique mask it wears in comparison to a normal Gillian. Only these Gillian variants have the potential to evolve into Adjuchas-class Menos. The evolution is facilitated by the continued cannibalization of fellow Hollows, even other Gillians.

  Spoiler: Adjuchas 

are the middle class of Menos in terms of power, and the second stage in the Menos evolution. Adjuchas can vary radically in appearance, anywhere from bulky humanoids to the jaguar-like form of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The are typically much smaller than Gillians, but significantly larger than a Human. They are also much smarter than the Gillian-class, and have the power to challenge a captain. It is also likely they could fight evenly with at least a Shinigami lieutenant. They watch over the many Gillian-class Menos and in the anime are also capable of controlling them, or at the least those put in charge by Sōsuke Aizen. Adjuchas-class Menos are much smaller in population compared to the Gillian class, due to the rarity of any one Hollow being capable of overwhelming the many other Hollows that comprise the body of a Gillian.

Furthermore, the Adjuchas must continue to devour Hollows, or its mind will be absorbed by the other Hollows comprising its form and it will revert back into a Gillian. The subsequent lack of an individual will also preclude the reverted Gillian from becoming an Adjuchas again.

  Spoiler: Vasto Lorde 

are the very most powerful class of Menos, and the final stage in the Menos evolutionary line. They appear about the size of a Human and appear to be completely humanoid. They are said to surpass an average Captain-Class Shinigami in battle abilities. Vasto Lorde are the least common form of Menos, but the exact population is unknown. Tōshirō stated that only a few are known to exist, and are believed to reside within the very deepest parts of Hueco Mundo. Apart from the need to cannibalize even more Hollows, any special requirements for the creation of a Vasto Lorde are unknown.

[Sakura_Gaara]

  Spoiler: Hollow continuation... 

  Spoiler: Powers 

Like Shinigamis Hollows have different types of powers/skills/abilities

  Spoiler: Soul-body Separation 

This technique allows a Hollow to forcibly extract a living spirit from his/her body. It is usually not used because Hollows tend to go after Pluses, who have no physical or living body to speak of.The soul is still attached by the Chain of Fate and can be saved, but if it is broken then the soul can prevent the Encroachment so long as he/she is placed inside a soulless body or animal. It seems as though Shinigami have reverse engineered this ability, as shown with the Skull Symbol. It may or may not be possible that this ability could also extract a Shinigami from their Gigai, but this would obviously prove harmful to a Hollow.

  Spoiler: Acidic Touch 

When a Hollow grabs a Human with their hands, the spot where the person was grabbed is shown to get burned as if acid were poured onto it. These wounds seem to allow the Hollow's reiatsu to seep into the person, causing great pain to the victim. The wounds can heal if given enough time though, and it is unknown if this ability works on Shinigami or other spiritually powerful beings.

  Spoiler: Cero 

is a highly-powerful and relatively-swift energy blast that can be fired from various body parts, such as mouth, tongue, hand or fingers. Only Menos, Arrancar, and Vizard have so far been shown to use Cero attacks, and it appears that stronger entities can use it more efficiently and forcefully. Cero also requires some time to be used effectively, so the enemy must be either not moving or busy with something else, or too badly wounded to even simply dodge it, with the exception of a few Cero techniques and users. Additionally, there exists quite a number of variations of Cero, which are usually unique to the Arrancar using it.

  Spoiler: Garganta 

is how Hollows and Arrancar move to and from Hueco Mundo. It literally tears open the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway.

  Spoiler: Negación 

fields are used to rescue fellow Hollows. Only the Gillian-class Menos have shown the ability to use it. Espada have a special cube-shaped device called Caja Negación meant to simulate Negación fields, which are used to punish their subordinates if necessary.

  Spoiler: High Speed Regenaration 

is the ability that allows a Hollow to heal most injuries very quickly, with the exception of the destruction of the head or vital organs. Only Menos-class Hollows have demonstrated this ability. Ulquiorra states that most Arrancar gave up Regeneration for far greater strength.

So we already have out of the way the Hollows...but what about the Hollows that rip off their masks? Lets continue with the Arrancars...

  Spoiler: Arrancars 

An Arrancar is a Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained Shinigami-like powers. The name "Arrancar" is a Spanish verb meaning "to remove" or "to rip off" (the kanji used means "ripped mask"), a reference to an Arrancar's removal of its Hollow mask. Naturally occurring Arrancar do exist within Hueco Mundo. Sōsuke Aizen is able to artificially create Arrancar with the Hōgyoku, which also unlocks much more of their potential than a natural transformation would. The process of turning a Hollow into an Arrancar is called Shinigamification.


Arrancar and ordinary Hollows differ in several ways:

  Spoiler: Humanoid Form 

Arrancar assume a humanoid form, as opposed to the animal-like or monstrous forms seen with Hollows. Upon becoming an Arrancar, the chances of a Hollow gaining a humanoid form increase with their intelligence; only Vasto Lorde-class Menos will definitely assume a humanoid form. This new form will retain remnants of their past selves, like fragments of their removed masks and a Hollow hole. While some Arrancar prefer to conceal these remnants, others choose to hide their faces completely to escape unwanted attention. Most also have a colored marking of some sort on their face, though some only gain these markings upon the release of their Zanpakutō. A few cases that include marks visible without the release of a Zanpakutō include Ulquiorra's tear marks, Sun-Sun's pink dots, the dashes under Grimmjow's eyes, and the marking which runs across Nelliel's cheekbones and nose.

  Spoiler: Zanpakutou/Soul Separation 

Arrancar can gain a Zanpakutō although some Arrancar's Zanpakutō don't take the shape of a sword. Unlike with Shinigami, this Zanpakutō is not sentient, but is simply their "true" Hollow form sealed into a sword. Therefore, an Arrancar's release of their Zanpakutō is merely a temporary restoration to their former selves, granting them any powers their Hollow form possesses. The act of release is called Resurrección (Spanish for "Resurrection"), which is activated with a command phrase followed by the name of the sword. The Resurrección of an Espada-level Arrancar releases enough power to be comparable to a Shinigami's Bankai. Few Arrancar do not have a Zanpakutō, being too weak to seal their excess power into a blade, while others prefer to have it constantly released.

  Spoiler: Additional Information 

The Arrancar under Aizen's command have a standard theme for their clothing. Their uniforms consist of a white jacket, black sash, white hakama, and black and white boots that bear an opposing similarity to a Shinigami's sandals; in essence, the uniforms are basically inverted Shinigami uniforms.

While most of the Arrancar either develop or retain their own personality traits, the majority (not all) of Arrancar shown in the series appear to be similarly cold, cruel, ambitious, impatient, selfish, overconfident, ruthless, arrogant, impulsive, brutal, relentless, battle-hungry, overbearing, short-tempered, indifferent, and/or egotistical.

Though not elaborated upon as of late, not all Arrancar residing in Hueco Mundo are loyal to Aizen. They prefer not to interfere with his plans, presumably because of Aizen's immense amount of power and army of servants. It is for that reason many naturally-evolved Arrancar, namely those that relish battle, felt it necessary to align themselves with him to obtain more power. While some Arrancar choose to follow Aizen in the hopes he will deliver them salvation, others ally with him purely out of respect. As Iceringer put it, Aizen is someone who is fearless, which creatures born out of fear and pain, such as Hollows, find admirable.

Although Arrancar are Hollows who have gained Shinigami powers, most still refer to themselves as Hollows

[Sakura_Gaara]

  Spoiler: Arrancar continuation 

  Spoiler: Shinigamification 

Shinigamification is a process where a Hollow acquires Shinigami powers, which creates an Arrancar. This can either occur naturally, such as the case of the Privaron Espada, or by use of the Hōgyoku, as is the case with the current Espada and their Fracción.

Hollows who have undergone shinigamification gain a Zanpakutō. Despite the fact they have a Zanpakutō, it varies with a Shinigami's Zanpakutō in the way an Arrancar's Zanpakutō is their true Hollow powers sealed in the form of a sword. A Shinigami's Zanpakutō on the other hand, is a manifestation of its owner's soul.

The Hollows who normally go under Shinigamification with the Hōgyoku are those of Menos-class chosen by Sōsuke Aizen. After the process is over, those Hollows are now considered Arrancar and serve under Aizen. Most of the Arrancar pledge loyalty to Aizen, mainly because Shinigamification helps them gain new powers and become stronger.

Arrancar Ranks:

  Spoiler: Espada 

Espadas are the top-ranked Arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen's army of Hollow-Shinigami hybrids, are the most powerful Hollows under Aizen's command, and are the main rivals of the Gotei 13. The Espada are regarded as the most powerful Arrancar in existence. At any given time, the Espada has a nominal composition of ten members, all hand-picked and ranked by Aizen himself.

The Espada are given free control over the Números and may choose as many of them as they like to become their Fracción. Similar to the power gap between captains and lieutenants in the Gotei 13, the strength of the Espada far surpasses that of the average Número. Aizen himself is confident enough of his Espada's abilities to send them out on potentially hazardous missions, such as gathering information in the real world, fighting Shinigami captains inside Las Noches and Karakura Town by themselves, and gathering the Vasto Lorde for his cause.

Being Aizen's most direct subordinates (not counting Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen), the Espada are privy to several of Aizen's plans and most intimate secrets, such as his goals of destroying Karakura Town and creating the King's Key and the location of the Hōgyoku within Las Noches. Aizen's respect for the Espada's abilities is reflected on his manner of addressing them, often referring to them as "my dear Espada" and sitting at the head of the same table with them, while discussing the events around Hueco Mundo. According to Dordonii, Aizen treats them as tools to do his bidding, but nonetheless, he wanted to take back his position as an Espada to once again be close to Aizen. In accordance with this, Aizen is not at all distressed over the deaths of the Espada and calmly congratulates the intruders in Las Noches for their victories against the Espada as he leaves for Karakura Town.

Their immense amount of power and leadership status among the Arrancar also grants each Espada the authority to exert command over Aizen's other forces within Las Noches: the Números, the Exequias, and their own Fracción. There seems to be a sort of hierarchy among the Espada; a higher-ranked member apparently can give orders to lower-ranked members. This is demonstrated when Aizen orders Ulquiorra Cifer to kidnap Orihime Inoue; the Arrancar led by Ulquiorra included Luppi (the then-sixth Espada), Yammy Rialgo (the tenth/zero), Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and Wonderweiss Margera (unassigned). Various missions usually involve one or more Espada operating together, with the most senior member exercising command over the others; typical, non-combat missions, such as searching for the Vasto Lorde and gathering pre-invasion data in the Human world, include a senior Espada and a lower-ranked one being sent out in pairs. While the lower-ranked members usually have little restraint in taking their own initiative (thus exceeding their orders), higher-ranked members usually stick to Aizen's commands, and are often the first to bail the others out of trouble, because in Nelliel Tu Oderschvank's own words, they wish to, "prevent the Espada from losing one of their own." However, Aizen's attitude toward the offending Espada members seem to be one of leniency, officially forgiving them (though not without severe sanctions) on the grounds that they are merely advancing his own wishes.

Aside from regularly appearing in Aizen's throne room and the debriefing room, the Espada are known to have their own quarters within Las Noches; those that have been seen appear to have been modified to suit the specific Espada's taste.

As Aaroniero Arruruerie notes, all of the Espada, except for himself, were at least Adjuchas-class Menos before becoming Arrancar.

According to Ulquiorra, any Espada ranked 4th or higher are not allowed to release their Zanpakutō within Aizen's palace, as their Resurrección's released powers are powerful enough to destroy the majority of Las Noches.

Most recently, Yammy Rialgo stated that the Espada are not assigned numbers from 1 to 10, but rather, 0 to 9.

  Spoiler: Privaron Espada 

The Privaron Espada are former Espada who have officially lost their rank and are assigned a three-digit number. Being former Espada, they are far stronger than the normal Números. They reside in Tres Cifras, which translates literally from Spanish as "Three Digits". As mentioned by Dordonii, these former "naturally created" Espada were rendered obsolete after Aizen began artificially creating Arrancar to meet his own standards.

  Spoiler: Números 

The Números are assigned a two digit number at birth from 11 to 99 to indicate their age (Número 11 is the oldest, Número 99 is the youngest). The basic Número uniform consists of a white-collared jacket and robes held with a black sash. However, the uniform is customizable, giving each Número a sense of individuality. The fighting ability of the Números is thought to be superior to all other arrancar, except for the Espada (current and former). The strongest Números are chosen by the Espada to become their Fracción. Most of Grimmjow's Fracción have high numbers, implying that they were among the first Números created. Wonderweiss Margera is apparently one of the strongest and the youngest Números to appear in the manga and the anime.

  Spoiler: Fracción 

are a subsection of the Números that directly serve a specific Espada. The number of fracción for any given Espada varies: Jiruga would seem to have just one, while Granz has at least a dozen. There are a few Espada that apparently prefer to fight alone, such as Yammy, Zommari, Aaroniero, and Ulquiorra, and chose not to have any fracción under their command. Also, Starrk's other half, Lilynette Gingerback, has a fraccion-like relationship with the former, but cannot be considered an actual fraccion due to that she was originally a part of an Espada. The fracción are all fiercely loyal to their respective Espada masters (due the the latter's impressive amount of power), perhaps even more so than they are to Aizen, and will diligently follow any order their masters give them.

  Spoiler: Exequias 

They are responsible for dealing with rebels and intruders in Las Noches, usually terminating both hence their name. They appear to be the Arrancar equivalent of Soul Society's Onmitsukidō.

The Espada, much like with the Números, seem to have a level of control over the Exequias: Szayel Aporro Granz ordered them to kill the intruders and retrieve the bodies of their defeated opponents, though how much control they have is uncertain.[1] After being summoned by Szayel, the Exequias proceeded to act under Rudobōn's command.

Rudobōn reveals to Rukia that the special ability of his Zanpakutō, Arbol, allows him to create the underlings who are seen following him. This explains why they all have identical masks and Zanpakutō. Technically, Rudobōn is the sole member of the Exequias, with the other members merely being his creations with no individuality seen thus far.

  Spoiler: Powers and Techniques 

  Spoiler: Caja Negación 

is a variant of the Gillian-exclusive ability Negación used to punish Arrancar subordinates by trapping them eternally in an alternate dimension. However, should the Caja Negación be used on an Espada, the Espada will eventually break out of the alternate dimension (usually within a few hours), due to their large amount of Reiatsu.

  Spoiler: Cero 

Like all other Hollows, they can use this blast technique. The Espada user fires a laser blast of great, concentrated destruction. While the color of most Ceros is red/crimson, several members of the Espada appear to have great color variations in their Cero; Ulquiorra's is green, Nnoitra's is golden yellow, and Nelliel's seems to be violet or pink (as she was using Cero Doble; it is unclear if her normal Cero is a different color). As he's the only Espada to have utilized its power on-screen, Grimmjow's liberal use of Gran Rey Cero, which emits a light-blue color, also counts, though his regular Cero is normally crimson.

  Spoiler: Bala 

is an Arrancar alternative to the Cero. The technique hardens the user's spiritual pressure and fires it like a bullet from their fist. Though somewhat weaker than a Cero blast, it moves about twenty times much faster than a Cero and can be fired at a much higher rate. This technique was first demonstrated by Wonderweiss Margera against Kisuke Urahara, and elaborated upon by Yammy during the same battle.

[Sakura_Gaara]

  Spoiler: Continuation of Powers and Techniques 

  Spoiler: Gran Rey Cero 

is a particular, very strong Cero. To perform this potent variation of the Cero, the Arrancar first draws blood from the Cero-generating appendage using his or her Zanpakutō, then charges the Cero while mixing the blood with it. The result is a Cero with a much greater attack power and speed, as well as a change of color unique to the Espada. This attack was first used by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in order to incite Ichigo into donning his Hollow mask. Grimmjow refers to it as, "the ultimate Cero". Grimmjow is, to date, the only Arrancar that has ever used Gran Rey Cero and Caja Negación on-screen.

  Spoiler: Garganta 

is how Arrancar move to and from Hueco Mundo. Kaname Tōsen and Kisuke Urahara have also demonstrated the ability to use the technique. It literally tears open the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway.

  Spoiler: Hierro 

refers to the hardened skin of the Arrancar, which is a result of their compressed spiritual power. While their skin is strong enough to block even released Zanpakutō bare-handed, it is by no means impenetrable. Stronger Arrancar have proportionally stronger skin. Nnoitra Jiruga claimed his Hierro is toughest amongst the Espada; being of higher rank than Nnoitra, Ulquiorra's Hierro appears to be much tougher.

  Spoiler: Pesquisa 

is the Arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami ability to sense Spiritual Pressure. It functions similar to a sonar. Using Pesquisa requires most Espada to enter a meditative state; however, Nnoitra has a variation of this technique that involves placing his fingers to the ground to determine an opponent's approximate location as well as the amount of Spiritual Pressure an opponent has.

  Spoiler: Sonido 

is the Arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami Flash Steps and the Quincy Hirenkyaku; it allows the user to travel at incredibly high speeds for short distances. Use of Sonído is punctuated by a brief static sound, in contrast to the "swish" sound used for Flash Steps. Zommari claims that his Sonído is the fastest amongst the Espada; Starrk and Ulquiorra appear to be faster, however, being the Primera and Cuarta, respectively.

  Spoiler: Resurreción 

Most Arrancar have the ability to seal their power within a Zanpakutō. Upon releasing their Zanpakutō, they gain all of their former unique Hollow abilities back, essentially 'resurrecting' their old selves. When using this ability, they essentially combine their human form and their Hollow form, incidentally increasing their power considerably. As another note, when an Arrancar uses his or her Resurrección, it heals all minor wounds.

Now that we have already settled what Hollows and Arrancars are, now we need to need to know where they live right? Lets take a look at Hueco Mundo home to Hollows and Arrancars...

  Spoiler: Hueco Mundo 

Hueco Mundo is located between the Human world and Soul Society, though it is separate from the bordering dimension known as Dangai. It can only be accessed by tearing the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, allowing Hollows to travel to any other dimension at will. Depending on the Hollow, the effect of this process varies. Regular Hollows usually appear from a small black vortex or form out of smoke, while Menos-class Hollows quite literally tear the sky apart to emerge. Arrancar use a more stable variant of the latter technique known as Garganta.

The landscape of Hueco Mundo is a seemingly never-ending white desert, with dunes like those of the Sahara. The desert is littered with what appear to be boulders and shriveled trees, but these are actually a form of quartz. In Hueco Mundo, the moon is on the opposite lunar phase of that in the Human world. Like in Soul Society, the atmosphere is filled with Reiryoku in the form of Reishi, but it is more concentrated, thus allowing smaller Hollows to gain nourishment despite the lack of Human souls.

Like that in real world deserts, active life in Hueco Mundo appears to be few and far between. Hollows generally seem to dwell below the surface or in other areas until something provokes them to leave their shelter, like the intrusion of a foreign entity. According to the Shinigami, all Hollows dwell in Hueco Mundo regardless of their shape, size, or power.

Inside Hueco Mundo we can find two places which are:

  Spoiler: Las Noches 

fortress located in Hueco Mundo and base of operations of Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen after their defection from Soul Society. They reside there with their army of Arrancar complete with medical facilites and detention wings. This was also Barragan Luisenbarn's castle when he was still the King of Hueco Mundo. However, during Barragan's reign it had no roof or walls. Indeed, Barragan scorned at the idea of a roof claiming that as he was the King of Hueco Mundo and as such the sky of Hueco Mundo was his ceiling.

Las Noches is a massive fortress which can be seen for miles in Hueco Mundo. It consists of a main building with a domed center surrounded by several large towers and smaller buildings. Atop the dome are six smaller towers (or as they appear), which seem to contain areas such as Aizen's throne room and the Espada meeting hall. Also, in the room where Orihime Inoue is kept, there is one large Middle-Eastern rug on the ground that is facing outside, much like those in rooms used for Islamic prayer. Like everything else in Hueco Mundo, the main building is colored white.

Las Noches is easily the largest building structure in the Bleach universe, appearing as large as (if not larger than) Seireitei in Soul Society. Due to its immense size, Ichigo Kurosaki once commented that it could be an illusion as he, Chad, and Uryū Ishida did not seem to make any progress getting closer to it, despite running until they were exhausted. Also, according to the Arrancar Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, it takes about three days to move from one spot to a gate.

The inside of Las Noches' dome simulate the living world and Soul Society's blue sky, which Aaroniero Arruruerie claims is so the light of the sky will help Aizen observe anywhere he wishes. However, since Aaroniero must stay out of the sunlight to use his abilities, Rukia Kuchiki speculates this is a lie. Though because Ichigo was able to break through the dome and escape to fight Ulquiorra, its more than likely that the area under the dome is like Urahara's training ground, due to the sky and seemingly endless plains. The position of the halls within the palace can also be adjusted, allowing the one operating them to direct the movements of intruders.

Due to their immense power, the top four Espada are forbidden from releasing their Zanpakutō within Las Noches. It is later justified by the battle between Ulquiorra and Ichigo, as their fight above the dome resulted in Las Noches losing a good portion of its domed roof, as well as segments of the five towers.

and in an anime filler it was shown the Forest of Menos

  Spoiler: Forest of Menos 

is an area below the surface of Hueco Mundo's desert where the average Hollow hide from the Arrancar. Gillian- and Adjuchas-class Menos dwell here, along with possibly Vasto Lorde-class Menos. The forest is filled with large trees made of a silvery quartz substance. These trees extend to the surface and dot the landscape of the desert in Hueco Mundo. Aizen and the Arrancar have a considerable amount of influence here, judging by a large group of Hollows bowing down upon seeing an Arrancar. The Adjuchas in charge of the Forest of Menos are under the command of Sōsuke Aizen.

Ashido Kanō, a Shinigami, also resides in this area after being stranded during an assault on some Hollows which had invaded the Soul Society. His current status after helping Ichigo and his friends escape is unknown.

[Sakura_Gaara]

Now we need to move to the human world...

  Spoiler: Human World 

The part of the human world that Bleach focuses upon is modern Japan; specifically, a fictional area of Western Tokyo called Karakura Town. This is where Ichigo Kurosaki, his family and his friends live. The only other part of the Human World that have been seen is Kagamino City, which is 22km east of Karakura Town.

The concentration of Spirit Particles in the atmosphere is lower in the Human World than it is in Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Shinigami and Arrancar can gather Spirit Particles underneath their feet to stand, walk or land in the sky, while Pluses seem to be able to float around at will. This is not possible in Soul Society, where special artifacts are required to fly or float in the air. The area in the Human World which has the highest concentration of Spirit Energy and has the highest rate of attracting spiritual beings is referred to as the juureichi. The exact location of this area varies over time, but is currently Karakura Town.

Shinigami are regularly stationed in the Human World. The duties of such Shinigami include to find and send Pluses to Soul Society, to slay Hollows and to protect Humans and Pluses from Hollows. Shinigami stay in the Human World for a set period. Rukia Kuchiki was officially stationed in Karakura Town for one month, though she actually stayed for much longer than this. It appears that there is only one Shinigami stationed in Karakura Town at a time. On occasion, groups of students from the Shinigami Academy are sent to the Human World to gain experience in the duties that they will have to perform when they become fully fledged Shinigami. This is seen by the soul burial practice conducted by Shūhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira, Renji Abarai, and Momo Hinamori. Members of the Onmitsukidō are also known to have visited the Human World, capturing images of Ichigo Kurosaki injuring a Menos Grande.

When Shinigami come to the Human World, their Spiritual Power can unduly influence the local population if they do not keep their power under control. Failure to exert such control can awaken the powers of living Humans who have some spiritual power, as exhibited by Ichigo Kurosaki's lack of control being blamed for giving powers to his friends Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. Shinigami are bound by Soul Society's laws not to harm or interfere with Humans. Rukia Kuchiki is arrested for breaking these laws. Captains and lieutenants who travel to the Human World have a seal placed on their powers, referred to as a limiter. This restricts their spiritual power to a level at which they will not accidentally influence the Human inhabitants.

  Spoiler: Karakura Town 

is a fictional Western Tokyo city in the Human World, where the story of Bleach begins. It is also the home town of the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki. It seems to be a small city with an average population that resembles the real world. Humans that live in Karakura Town are unaware of the ghosts and spiritual forces that live there.

Sōsuke Aizen seeks to destroy Karakura Town to make a copy of the King's Key. Karakura Town is referred to as District 3600 by the Shinigami and is situated on the current "juureichi" - the point in the Human World that possess the greatest concentration of spiritual beings

  Spoiler: Urahara Shop 

is a shop located in Karakura Town. While it is no more than an average store on the outside, it is a shop that caters to Shinigami needs. This shop serves as the base of operation for its owner, Kisuke Urahara, and all of its employees, possesses great spiritual abilities. Rukia Kuchiki comes here from time to time to either buy something while staying with Ichigo Kurosaki in the human world or gain information from Urahara himself; Renji Abarai stays here when he has missions to the human world. Occasionally, a small van can be seen outside the store, but it has never been used for anything.

Underneath the store lies a giant room designed by Urahara in resemblance to the training field he created in Soul Society. It is used as a secret base/training ground and contains a Senkaimon arc to travel to Soul Society, as well as an unnamed, recently created gate that creates a Garganta.

  Spoiler: Secret Training Ground 

Before beginning his mission into Soul Society to rescue Rukia Kuchiki, Urahara Kisuke takes Ichigo Kurosaki to a huge secret training ground beneath the Urahara Shop, intended to resemble the Sōkyoku Hill training ground. Here, over a period of several days, Urahara helps Ichigo regain his lost Shinigami powers and teaches him the basic techniques of Shinigami combat. Ichigo's partial transformation into a Hollow also takes place here, and Urahara opens the Senkaimon into Soul Society from this room.

The Urahara Shop training ground is a large room with a ceiling and walls painted to resemble a cloudy sky over a floor of desolate, brown, craggy land dotted with dead trees. Urahara claims to have built the room, using Soul Society's technology, in a single day and night.

The training ground is used again by Yasutora Sado as he spars with Renji Abarai to master higher levels of his power; from there, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryū Ishida make their way through the garganta into Hueco Mundo.

  Spoiler: Vizard Warehouse Training Ground 

Beneath the Vizard's warehouse hideout is another secret training ground, bearing a strong resemblance to those beneath the Urahara Shop and the Sōkyoku Hill. Ichigo's mastery of his inner hollow and his training with the Vizard takes place here; Orihime Inoue also meets and befriends Hachigen Ushōda here as he heals Tsubaki.

[omega 5000]

This'll be very long

  Spoiler: Soul Society 

Soul Society, also known as the spirit world, is the place where you go at the afterlife. What people on earth Heaven called. It is the place where most departed souls and Shinigami are.
Soul Society can be divided within 2 parts.
-Rokunagi
-Seireitei

Rokungai is for average souls and refugee where as Seireitei are for
the shinigami's, noble families and such.

  Spoiler: Rokungai 

Rukongai is the largest portion of Soul society, it is divided in districts. It is a very a poor place. Many people take refuge here.

  Spoiler: Seireitei 

Seireitei (court of pure souls) is in the center of Soul Society, a circular shiro with four main entrances, each guarded by a Gate Guardian. The walls of Seireitei are made of stone called Sekkiseki (spirit reducing stone), a material known to negate all Reiryoku, similar to magnetic lodestones, preventing the ability to gather Reishi underneath your feet to walk in the air whilst within Seireitei. The stone also forms a spherical barrier around the city which stops anything spiritual from breaching it.

And now the long parts begin XD

  Spoiler: Central 46 

The Central 46 Chambers Compound is a highly restricted area in the Seireitei in Soul Society. Most of the building is underground, with only a small portion visible from the surface. In the anime, it was depicted as a circular building in the center of a body of water, surrounded by a wall with a single gateway. Access to the main building was via a bridge. It houses the Central 46, the central government of Soul Society. The Central 46 rules Soul Society on behalf of the Spirit King. They make all of Soul Society's laws and try those who are charged with breaking them, whether the crime was committed in Soul Society or in the Human World. Following the massacre of the Central 46 at the hands of Sōsuke Aizen during the Soul Society arc, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto subsequently taking over their normal duties, the compound has lost much of its former status as one of the most important places in Seireitei.

The Underground Assembly Hall

The Underground Assembly Hall is where the Central 46 meets. It is an octagonal structure located in a large open space within the main building, and was also referred to as the Diet Building. Beyond the entrance to this structure there is a staircase leading down into the hall. The benches and high-backed chairs of the 40 wise men are arranged in two concentric rings, one higher than the other, surrounding an open area. In the walls there are recesses with stairs leading up to them, where the six judges are seated. There are large banners on its walls. It has thirteen levels of protection to keep out or at least stall intruders. During Aizen's rebellion, the Assembly Hall was placed under lock down.Notable events to occur in the Assembly Hall are the massacre of the Central 46 by Aizen, the manipulation of Rukia Kuchiki's execution, and the trial of Kisuke Urahara, which took place 101 years before the start of the story. On this occasion, the members of the Central 46 sat behind numbered screens to maintain their anonymity. The Hall was kept in darkness during the trial, with the only lights shining upon Urahara and his co-accused, Tessai Tsukabishi.

Tranquil Forest of Residential Towers

The Tranquil Forest of Residential Towers

  Spoiler: Central 46 

is where the Central 46's members reside. It is the only place in all of Seireitei that is completely off limits to all except the Central 46, no matter what reason they may have. The residences are tall, thin tower-like buildings with the
entrance raised off of the ground and accessed via a short stairway, with a wooden walkway surrounding the building. There is a tall, narrow window in the wall starting just above the door that continues to the top of the tower. Little of the interior is seen beyond the entrance, with no furnishings visible. It is unknown if there is only one floor, or if there are multiple levels inside the towers. Although it is unconfirmed, the area being referred to as a forest suggests that there are likely 46 of them. It is not revealed if there is a difference between the residences of the wise men and the judges.

Notable events to occur here are the reunion of Aizen and Momo Hinamori, and the confrontation between Aizen and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

Daireishokairo

Daireishokairo also known as the Great Spirit Library is a repository of all the knowledge and history of the Soul Society. This is another area to which
access is restricted. As a result, few are familiar with its inner workings even among the captains. Ukitake was placed in charge of investigating the
library's circuits to identify anything that Aizen may have researched during the time in which he was believed to be dead. Ukitake's investigation
discovered that Aizen had accessed much data on the Hōgyoku and the King's Key.

  Spoiler: Gotei 13/ 13 Imperial Guards/ 13 Court Guard Squads/ 13 Divisions/ 13 Squads Part 1 

The Gotei 13
The Gotei 13 (; 13 Division Imperial Guards, or 13 Court Guard Squads) is the organization which most Shinigami join. It is split into thirteen divisions (hence the name), with several divisions having certain specializations. The 4th Division is the medical/supply division, the 11th Division
is the combat division (specialization in swordsmanship), and the 12th Division is the research/scientific division. The 9th Division was shown, in a Shinigami Cup extra, to be in charge of newspaper and magazine-related duties. It's unclear if the other divisions are specialized, as the four above are the only ones who receive any significant attention apart from their members. Additionally,
it should be noted that the 2nd division captain is in charge of both the 2nd Division and the Onmitsukidō. The Gotei 13 somewhat seems to have superiority and little authority over the two branches (i.e., 2nd Division, the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō).



Ranks

As with any army, the Gotei 13 has ranks. There are 20 ranks for officers but no ranks for non-officers. The lower the number is, the higher the rank. The ranks and their descriptions are below, from highest to lowest in terms of strength.

Captain-Commander

The Captain-commander ( 総隊長, sōtaichō; Captain-Commander) is the leader of the Gotei 13 and the Captain of the 1st Division; the implication is that this is an ex officio or a primus inter pares position. The first and current holder of this title is Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

[omega 5000]

  Spoiler: Gotei 13/ 13 Imperial Guards/ 13 Divisions/ 13 Squads Part 2 

Captain

The Captains of Gotei 13.

A Captain ( 隊長, Taichō; lit. Unit Commander) is the leader of one of the thirteen divisions (with the special case of the Captain-Commander). A single Gotei 13 Division is estimated at about 20 troops.

Captains are generally the most respected Shinigami within the Soul Society and Onmitsukidō leaders possibly being on equal status.With one exception, all captains are able to utilize the final stage of their Zanpakutō, and are more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing Bankai gives captains an average of five-to-ten times the strength of Shinigami who are unable to perform it. They have also extensively trained, if not mastered, their Bankai, allowing them to actually use the enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are also skilled in the use of Flash Steps, Kidō, and generally have extensive knowledge of Shinigami history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a huge power-gap between captains and lower-ranked officers.

It is not commonly stated but in truth, the power of the Soul Society lies in the Captains of the Gotei 13, as they are the leaders of its military arm. With them at full strength Soul Society is safe and near unbeatable, if they are broken their strength dwindles making them highly vulnerable.

*Note: The Captain of the 11th Division is also the top-fighter in the Gotei 13 and thus given the name, Kenpachi.

There are three different ways to become a Gotei 13 captain:

1. Captain proficiency test (隊首, taishu): A test which requires the ability to perform Bankai. Presumably, most Shinigami become captains using this method. At least three existing captains, including the Captain-Commander, have to witness the test.
2. Personal Recommendation: To have personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three of the remaining seven
3. Trial by Combat: To defeat a captain one-on-one with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. Kenpachi Zaraki is the only known current captain to have achieved his rank using this method. This method is seen as being the exceedingly rarer of the three as well as the least refined. The method is commonly looked down upon by some captains as barbaric compared to the other refined methods. This method also allows one to bypass having the mastery of bankai or other possible abilities that a captain would otherwise be required to have knowledge of, as it allows no judgement from captains who would require those skills as a prerequisite to join their ranks.

Lieutenant

A Lieutenant (副隊長, fukutaichō; Vice-unit Commander, often translated as Vice-Captain) is the 2nd seated officer in a division.

Lieutenants function as executive officers for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations.They generally only know the Shikai of their Zanpakutō, but are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making him unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the "substitute captain" until another can be assigned.

Seated Officers

Seated officers are the remainder of the officers in the Gotei 13 that hold ranks at or below 3rd Seat. Captains and lieutenants have the ranks of 1st and 2nd Seats, respectively. Next to that, there are 18 more seats (3rd-to-20th). These ranks are somewhat analogous to junior officers or non-commissioned officers in modern military. There seems to be a distinction between senior and junior seated officers, just like in real-life armies. In the Gotei 13, only one person can hold a senior officer rank (such as 3rd or 5th seat), but there are several holders of junior officer ranks (e.g. 20th seat). This may vary from division to division however, as there are two 3rd Seats in the 13th Division. Seated officers often lead subunits within each division (for example, Hanatarō Yamada is leader of 4th Division's 14th Advanced Relief Team).

13 Divisions/Squads

Special Tasks for each Division:

1st Division - Captain is the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13
2nd Division - the 2nd Division being directly tied in with the Onmitsukidō, each of the top 5 seated officers is in charge of a certain division of the latter. For example the 3rd Seat is in charge of the Detention Unit.
3rd Division - No special duties have been noted for the 3rd Division.
4th Division - The 4th Division is the medical/supply division. They are responsible for both treating the injured and doing most manual labor such as cleaning Seireitei. Because of this, they have keys to most of the buildings and know the underground sewer system well. According to various members of the 11th Division, 4th Division members are rather weak at combat instead using their power to heal. The 4th Division is further divided into teams that have specific assigned jobs.
5th Division - They are the messenger squad of the Gotei 13, and many of its members appear to be skilled in Kidō.
6th Division - No special duties have been noted for the 6th division.
7th Division - No special duties have been noted for the 7th division.
8th Division - No special duties have been noted for the 8th division.
9th Division - The 9th Division is known to be in charge of the Seireitei news magazine. All the Lieutenants of the Divisions of Gotei 13 hand in their report to them.
10th Division - No special duties have been noted for the 10th Division.
11th Division - The Eleventh Division is the melee combat Division with a specialization in swords-only combat, forgoing the other Shinigami arts. It is mentioned that it is tradition for the current Kenpachi, the title held by the best swordsman in Soul Society, to hold the position of Eleventh Division Captain.[5] The current captain Kenpachi Zaraki is known for his thirst for fighting.
12th Division - Other than the 12th Division's connection to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, no special duties have been noted for the 12th Division. Members are tasked with research and collection of data and samples, and the Captain is the President of the R&D Institute.
13th Division - The 13th division seems to be in charge of the Communications department in the Soul Society. It also seems to assume Earth's protection against hollows.

[omega 5000]

  Spoiler: Gotei 13/ 13 Imperial Guards/ 13 Court Guard Squads/ 13 Divisions/ 13 Squads Part 3 

Insignia's

Division Flower Meaning
1st....................Chrysanthemums............. Truth and Innocence
2nd...................Tulip....................... ......Seek Nothing
3rd....................Marigold................... .....Despair
4th....................Bellflower................. .....Those Who Grieve Are Loved
5th....................Lily of the Valley............Sacrifice, Danger, Pure Love,

6th....................Camellia................... ....Noble Reason
7th....................Iris....................... ......Courage
8th....................Bird of Paradise.............Everything is Obtained
9th....................Buttercup.................. ..Oblivion
10th...................Daffodil................... ...Mystery, Egoism
11th...................Yarrow..................... ..Fight
12th...................Thistle.................... ...Vengeance, Strictness

13th...................Summer Snowflake.......Hope

  Spoiler: Picture 

Uniforms + Past Captains/Lieutenants

Most Gotei 13 personnel wear the standard Shinigami uniform, called Shihakushō (死覇装; Garment of Dead Souls) - a white shitagi, a black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, white tabi, and waraji. The black hakama also has its owner's division insignia emblazoned on the inside, though it does not appear to have any significant reasoning other than minor security authorization. Lieutenants sometimes also wear an armband which carries their division symbol and its number, usually on their left arm. They are required to do this when they are summoned to a meeting but apart from this it seems that it is rarely compulsory; at the time the series takes place, the use of the armbands was noted to have fallen out of fashion.

Captains wear a white haori over the usual black Shinigami clothes, with the number of their division on the back, inside the Gotei 13 symbol (a rhombus). Some captains have long sleeves, while the others do not. It also seems that the color of the underside is division-, or at least captain-specific, as every captain has a different color of it.

List of colors by past captains (Some have changed for this RP):

1st Division

* Yamamoto - Royal Purple

2nd Division

* Soifon - Orange
* Yoruichi - Orange

*Onmitsukidō:


3rd Division

* Ichimaru - Light green
* Amagai - Light green
* Otoribashi - Light green

4th Division

* Unohana - Emerald Green

5th Division

* Aizen - Light green
* Hirako - Light green
* Suzunami - Light Green

6th Division

* Byakuya - Royal Blue
* Ginrei - Royal Blue

7th Division

* Komamura - Brown
* Love - Brown

8th Division

* Kyōraku - Dark pink

9th Division

* Tōsen - Grayish pink
* Kensei - Grayish pink

10th Division

* Hitsugaya - Deep purple

11th Division

* Zaraki - Dark Green

12th Division

* Kurotsuchi - Olive green
* Urahara - Olive Green

13th Division

* Ukitake – Red

[omega 5000]

  Spoiler: Zanpakuto Part 1 

A Zanpakutō (斬魄刀; lit. soul-cutter sword)|(English Dub: Soul Slayer) is the main weapon of the Shinigami, the Arrancar and the Vizard. The art of wielding a zanpakutō is called Zanjutsu (swordsmanship).

Each Zanpakutō is a manifestation of its owner's soul, and has a unique name that a Shinigami is required to learn in order to use its Shikai and Bankai. As such, each zanpakutō has unique abilities that match their owner's characteristics and personality, and their names usually hint to what these powers
may be.

A Zanpakutō spirit is part of its owner's soul, and they often share the same personality traits. At the same time, they are also independent, and thus, can be considered a Shinigami's partner in battle. Because they are part of their owner's soul, a Zanpakutō cannot be replaced, though it will slowly regenerate if broken. As a Shinigami gains power, their Zanpakutō can change form by allowing the inner being to manifest itself to a greater degree in the outside world. The sword and the inner being are synonymous to each other. The spirit of a Zanpakutō dwells within an internal world, most naturally the wielder's soul, which is different for each Shinigami. The Zanpakutō spirit can normally only be seen by its wielder.

Though rare, it is not impossible for more than one soul to be attuned to the same spirit. In such cases, ancient law of the Soul Society will not allow two beings to wield the same Zanpakutō, in which case, they must duel for ownership of the spirit, with the winner gaining it and the loser being sentenced to death.

No matter what form (or size) a Zanpakutō takes, it is always virtually effortless for its owner to wield because it is a part of its owner's soul. Shinigami with vast spiritual power and who are unable to control it have larger Zanpakutō, as Ichigo Kurosaki did when he first became a Shinigami. Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, explains at one point that high-level Shinigami must be capable of maintaining and suppressing the size of their sword. Otherwise, they would, effectively, be forced to wield swords the size of skyscrapers.

As stated, a Zanpakutō is a being unto itself and tends to be highly temperamental. Its mood is determined by how it is treated by its Shinigami as well as its overall personality. This allows a Shinigami to partially determine whether it will achieve its true power or not. For example, Yumichika Ayasegawa
normally releases his Zanpakutō with the name Fuji Kujaku (Wisteria Peacock), even though its true name is Ruri'iro Kujaku (Azure Peacock), knowing that its favorite color is azure and that its least favorite is wisteria purple. He does this so that its true power is not seen. Since his Zanpakutō hates the
nickname, it becomes moody and only releases a fraction of its power. This allows him to pass off his Zanpakutō as a simple melee-type rather than what it truly is, a Kidō-type, something that is unacceptable in the 11th Division due to an unspoken rule that all Zanpakutō in the 11th must be melee-types. Only when its true name is uttered is its full potential achieved.

A Shinigami may find it hard to achieve its Zanpakutō's Shikai or Bankai due to its personality, which is a reflection of his or her own personality. Communication is key as seen evident with Kenpachi Zaraki, who has little or no communication with his Zanpakutō and therefore doesn't know its name, making its true potential not realized. This inability causes his power to damage his Zanpakutō rather than allowing it to truly help him.

Each Zanpakutō has the power to send Pluses to the Soul Society, purify Hollows, and transform the Zanpakutō itself into more elaborate and powerful forms. Not all Shinigami can hear the name of their Zanpakutō and thus cannot achieve the higher tiers of power

Depending upon the Shinigami's ability to communicate with and control their Zanpakutō's spirit, a Zanpakutō can manifest itself in two additional forms and revert to a sealed state. These two forms, known as Shikai and Bankai, are akin to "upgrades" for the Zanpakutō, giving it abilities far beyond that of its simple use as a sword. Shinigami usually carry their Zanpakutō in the sealed state and activate the released forms as necessary. A Zanpakutō will return to its sealed state when its wielder is knocked unconscious.

Sealed

Most Zanpakutō look like regular katana, with slight variations between them as one would expect between different swords. There variations are commonly:

• Katana - The term katana may be applied to the standard size moderately curved Japanese sword with a blade length of greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches). The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single edged blade, circular or squared guard, and long grip to accommodate two hands.
• Wakizashi - A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi ("small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō, which translates literally as "large and small". The katana was often called the long sword and the wakizashi the companion sword.
• Nodachi - The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The length of the nodachi's hilt varied between twelve to thirteen inches (30 to 33 centimeters). Its cutting capability and range exceeded that of a katana, due to its weight and size. a large two-handed sword. Nodachi approximately translates to "field sword". Katana, wakizashi, and tachi are worn at the waist or belt; however, it is not "drawn" from the back.

In addition to the upgraded forms, the sealed form of a Zanpakutō can also be radically altered, though such alterations are purely cosmetic and usually don't offer any significant advantage in battle; one exception is Ikkaku Madarame's Hōzukimaru, whose hilt stores a blood-clotting ointment. Zanpakutō can also be disguised as other objects, though such objects seem to need to be of similar proportions to the sword itself. Both Kisuke Urahara and General Yamamoto, for example, disguise their Zanpakutō as canes, Yamamoto's as a large walking stick that dissolves on command to reveal his sheathed Zanpakutō, Urahara's as a shikomizue, a thin blade hidden within the hollow shaft of a cane.

Shinigami who are unable to communicate with their Zanpakutō wield a nameless version known as "Asauchi"; this name translates to 'shallow hit', referring to the grossly reduced power of a Zanpakutō when its wielder cannot connect with it properly.

Shikai

The Shikai (始解, Initial Release) is the second form (or first "upgraded" form) available to a Zanpakutō. To activate it, the Shinigami needs to learn the name of their Zanpakutō. This is not as easy as simply picking a name, as the living spirit of the Zanpakutō already has its own name. Therefore, the Shinigami must be able to communicate and harmonize with their Zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world.

Achievement of the Shikai is a mark of control of a Zanpakutō, and it appears to be a requirement for advancement within the Shinigami ranks, as presumably most seated officers are capable of Shikai. It is also required in order to achieve the rank of lieutenant; it is a requirement most captains look for.
After first learning the Zanpakutō's name, the Shikai can be performed at will simply by speaking a command followed by the zanpakutō's name. The commands vary between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability, or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Shinigami who have learned how to use their Bankai. In rare cases, a Zanpakutō, once released, will remain in that state indefinitely. This is due to the vast amount of spiritual energy the possessor has that cannot be finely controlled upon initial
generation of their Zanpakutō, as such the Zanpakutō is described as a constant released form. The only known Shinigami with Full-Time Release Zanpakutō are Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki. By the nature of this type of Zanpakutō, a Shinigami with a constant release form doesn't need a release command nor is it necessary to even know their Zanpakutō's name. However, not knowing the name of one's zanpakutō can put you at a disadvantage in terms of power against those who do know their Zanpakutō's name.

Once the Shikai is activated, the Zanpakutō will change form to access whatever special abilities it is capable of. They usually remain in the form of a sword (with multiple exceptions, such as Soifon wielding a stinger, Byakuya Kuchiki's turns into many sakura-like blades, Ikkaku Madarame wielding a spear,
Kaien Shiba wielding a trident, Marechiyo Ōmaeda wielding a flail, Shūhei Hisagi wielding two connected dual scythes, Rangiku Matsumoto's sword turns into ash, and Retsu Unohana's Shikai is a flying manta ray-type creature), but the type of sword differs radically among various Zanpakutō. The special abilities of the Zanpakutō, like the Zanpakutō itself, have specific names that usually must be announced to fully activate the effect. As Ichigo's Zanpakutō, Zangetsu, explains, knowing the name of an attack and not knowing it makes a very drastic difference in the amount of power that attack has.

[omega 5000]

  Spoiler: Zapakuto Part 2 

Bankai
The Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the second and final upgraded form of a Zanpakutō. To achieve it, one must be able to materialize their Zanpakutō's spirit in the real world and subjugate it, giving the Shinigami full reign over the zanpakutō's power.

According to Yoruichi Shihōin, the power of Bankai typically increases a Shinigami's power by a factor five to ten. Because such an act usually takes 100 or more years of combat experience beyond attaining Shikai for even the strongest Shinigami to achieve, it is rare and almost exclusively limited to the thirteen Captains in the Gotei 13.Byakuya Kuchiki claims that among the four noble houses of Soul Society, only one person in several generations will be born with the spiritual power necessary to achieve it. Even with this, several years of special training are needed to achieve Bankai, plus the experience needed to master it. Ichigo Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara are the only known individuals that have mastered Bankai through a far shorter, yet much more dangerous method. Using a special device created by Urahara, which forcibly materializes a Zanpakutō spirit (thus bypassing a large portion of the training), they were able to attain their Bankai within three days instead of the normal hundreds of years. After successfully testing the device and achieving Bankai, Urahara stated that training by using this method for more than three consecutive days could prove to be fatal, which is why Ichigo was also forced to achieve his own Bankai within three days.

Besides Ichigo Kurosaki, the only non-captain Shinigami known to have achieved Bankai are Renji Abarai (Lieutenant), who finalized his training at about
the same time as Ichigo (although he did not use Urahara's device, but rather perfected it while Ichigo was training), and Ikkaku Madarame (3rd Seat), who
did so through his own years of training.

After a Shinigami is able to materialize and subjugate their Zanpakutō's spirit, the Zanpakutō can assume its final and most powerful form. Unlike the Shikai, there is no command phrase to activate Bankai, though the user will usually say "Bankai" beforehand. A Zanpakutō's Bankai is often a manifestation
of the spirit itself, usually creating a massive creature or a powerful effect to aid the user in battle (Ichigo's Bankai is an exception, becoming more compact instead). The Bankai itself will receive a different name in addition to the ordinary Zanpakutō (for example Ichigo's Zangetsu becomes Tensa
Zangetsu, Byakuya's Senbonzakura becomes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi). Certain Shinigami also change with their Zanpakutō, gaining clothing similar to what their Zanpakutō's spirit form looks like. Most Zanpakutō will also gain additional special abilities, or a more enhanced version of the usual one. Like with the Shikai, most of these abilities have an associated name. Maintaining the Bankai is taxing for the wielder, and it is difficult to maintain it for long periods of time for most Shinigami, with the exception of Ichigo, as it becomes more compact, thus allowing him to hold it for long periods of time.

The power that comes with Bankai tends to be similar to the Shikai's ability/theme but amplifies it to much greater levels of power. Some simply increase the original ability, such as Byakuya's blade count multiplied, or Sajin Komamura, who instead of only getting pieces of the giant, summons the giant itself.
While other Bankai follow the theme of the sword, such as Renji's remains a whip while containing baboon and cobra features, or Mayuri summons a monster with the same face (Jizō) on his trident, but kept the theme of poison that came from the monsters breath.


Types

There are several types of Zanpakutō, classed by the main purpose or effect of their special abilities. (Note, Types are determined by what a Zanpakutō is shown and/or stated to be capable of and nothing more). These types include:

• Melee-Type Zanpakutō: Are typically designed for various forms of armed melee combat rather than magic-based abilities.
• Kidō-Type Zanpakutō: Are designed around a special ability rather than close combat potential.
• Projectile-Type Zanpakutō: When released separate into many air based blades that the owner can control freely.
• Defense-Type Zanpakutō: Are designed around defensive capability with little or no offense.

A large amount of the Zanpakutō are classified by elements, generally utilizing their respective elements as forms of attack. (It could be said that elemental zanpakutō are all Kidō-type which have an element based as noted by Kenpachi Zaraki and Maki Ichinose during their battle, but as this was only mentioned in the anime Episode 98 it cannot be stated as a fact.)

• Fire-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate fire for various forms of attack or defense.
• Ice-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate ice for various forms of attack or defense.
• Earth-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate the ground for various forms of attack or defense.
• Wind-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate wind for various forms of attack or defense.
• Water-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate water (and related effects) for various forms of attack or defense.
• Plant-Type Zanpakutō: Designed for the manipulation of plant growth for offense or defense.
• Light-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate light for various effects.
• Poison-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to administer poison as a form of attack.
• Electricity-Type Zanpakutō: Designed for manipulation of lightning for offense or defense.

Sub-Types

There are a few "sub-types" of Zanpakutō classification such as:

• Constant-Release Type: Zanpakutō that are always in Shikai form because of the strength of their wielder's spiritual energy, or, more importantly their lack of control over it.
• Dual-Blade Type: Zanpakutō that feature more than one blade in Shikai release. It is decidedly rare for one to possess such a weapon and therefore it says a lot about the uniqueness of its wielder's spiritual power.